Hiking to the Great Buddha of Kamakura

Somewhere along the muddy, slippery
trail to the Great Buddha of Kamakura, I began to regret my
choice of shoes. I wished I was wearing waterproof hiking
boots instead of my flat-soled, sky-blue watershoes that
were starting to turn a dingy brown. There were less rugged
paths to the Great Buddha, along paved roads, but my friend
and I, who originally met on a hiking trail in California,
thought that a hike to the Buddha would be fun.

We visited Kamakura as a day trip from Tokyo. The one-hour
train ride from Tokyo to Kamakura was free with our JR
passes. From JR Kita-Kamakura station, we crossed the street
over a delightful little stone bridge that stretched over a
green, vegetation-lined pond that was home to small turtles.

We made a left and took a quick walk alongside a two-lane
paved road, following the signs to Jochiji Temple.

We didn’t actually visit Jochiji Temple, instead we took the
narrow road to the left of the temple, the start of the
Daibutsu Hiking Course (ie. the trail to the Great Buddha).
We passed a few homes nestled among the trees and then
ascended into nature. As we gained altitude, we tried to
peer through the dense trees for a view, but the foliage was
too thick. There were no signs to guide us, but the path
seemed fairly obvious. The fact that we saw a few Japanese
people strolling along the trail in the opposite direction
reassured us that we might be heading the right way.

It was June rainy season in Japan and everything had a layer
of dew on it. In some places, erosion had exposed serpentine
tree roots. In others, the dirt trail had turned to slippery
mud.

After an hour or so, the trail opened up into a small park.
In one corner, we discovered Kuzuharaoka Shrine, a
love shrine with a miniature version of Meoto Iwa (the
famous wedded rocks).

There were many heart-shaped little
wooden plaques (ema) on which people had written their
wishes or prayers, rows of blossoming hydrangeas, and a
small area where little ceramic plates could be purchased
and then tossed against a rock to rid one of bad influences
in life. There wasn’t much to the small shrine, but it was
cute. As we were leaving, a monk emerged and quietly raked
the rock path that led to the shrine.

Our next stop was Zeniarai-Benzaiten Shrine, a money-washing
shrine near the Daibutsu Hiking Course. It is believed that
washing one’s money at such a shrine and then spending it,
causes luck for the spender. We asked a picnicking family
for directions. They directed us down a steep road where we
found the tunnel entrance to Zeniarai-Benzaiten Shrine.

The entrance reminded me of the tunnel that Chihiro and her
family enter in Miyazaki‘s Studio Ghibli film, Spirited
Away. At the other end of the tunnel, we found schoolchildren sitting on benches, enjoying their picnic lunches.
We wandered little winding paths that led to small shrines
until we found the cave where the money washing occurs.

Inside the cave, people were snapping photos of one another
with their freshly-washed money. We watched the
money-washing process to see how it was done: pick up a
small basket, place money into the basket, pick up water
from the stream with a ladle, and pour the water over the
money. Since I was running low on cash (and I don’t think
you’re supposed to wash credit cards) my friend offered me a
1,000 yen note to wash; hopefully his generosity brought him
extra luck.

We took turns washing our money. Then we posed for
obligatory me-with-my-freshly-washed-money photos. Near the
exit to the cave, I noticed a few lit candles along with a
sign that stated, in multiple languages including English,
“Dipped money dried [sic] naturally.” I can only assume that
people have tried to use the candles to dry their money,
with unfortunate, though predictable, consequences. We
slipped our wet money into our wallets for spending later.

Back on the street just outside the shrine, two adorable
Japanese girls, dressed in their school uniforms, shyly
approached us. “Do you speak English?” one girl asked us.
“Yes,” I said. “Can we ask you some questions?” the same
girl asked. “Of course,” I said. “Where are you from?” the
girl asked. “California,” I said. “Oooh,” both girls
responded, delightedly. The first girl proceeded to
carefully read a few questions from her school workbook,
inquiring about our trip to Japan, and take down our
responses. Apparently this is a common school project for
children on field trips; we were questioned twice more by
groups of school children during our two-week trip.

After having enjoyed our side trip to the shrine, we
rejoined the trail to the Great Buddha. The second part of
the trail was more muddy and slippery than the first part.
My shoes became less and less light-blue and more and more
brown. Toward the end of the trail, we encountered a
Japanese couple who were just starting their hike. The woman
wore bright-white tennis shoes that were already showing
signs of being enveloped by the mud. She smiled at me and
pointed at her shoes sadly. I smiled and pointed at mine.

The final few minutes of our hike were particularly
precarious, requiring the holding of ropes, railings, and
roots to keep us on our feet.

We descended out of the woods on a skinny metal staircase
that led to a paved road. Steps away, we found the entrance
to the Kotokuin Temple, where the Great Buddha (AKA:
Kamakura Daibutsu) is located. We paid the 200 yen entrance
fee, rinsed the mud from our hands, and then we walked
toward the towering Buddha.

From 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, for just 20 yen each, visitors are
allowed to go inside the Buddha. We paid our yen and walked
up a little staircase into the belly of the Buddha. Inside,
there were coins along every ledge and in every nook and
cranny. Some people said a prayer. Some just admired the
engineering; there was a plaque that offered detailed
information in English and Japanese. I noticed that there
were windows built into the back of the Buddha that provided
some welcome ventilation on that warm June day.

Back in the refreshing outdoors, I walked around the Buddha,
admiring the statue from every angle, and wafted some of the
smoke from the incense pot in front of it, over my body.

Our final stop in Kamakura was Hase Temple (AKA: Hasedera).
The temple was located a short walk away from the Great
Buddha, along civilized sidewalks rather than muddy trails.
When we arrived at the entrance, I opened my wallet and
pulled out a damp 1,000 yen note to pay the 300 yen
admission fee. Embarrassed, I sheepishly handed the wet
money to the attendant. Unfortunately, my limited Japanese
didn’t allow me to explain why my money was moist. The
attendant didn’t seem bothered by it. I imagine that we
weren’t the only ones who took Daibutsu Hiking Course to the
Great Buddha with a side trip to the money-washing shrine
before visiting Hase Temple. Maybe the attendant gets a lot
of wet, lucky money, along with an explanation. At least I
hope so.

Don't miss this powerful, romantic story with
shocking surprises that you'll never see coming!

Nineteen-year-old Erin is hoping that her visit to Japan
with her best friend, Adam, will be life-changing. When Erin
was just four years old, her mother mysteriously vanished.
Erin's only clue to her mother's possible whereabouts is a
hand-written itinerary for a dream trip to Japan, a trip
that Erin doesn't know if her mother ever had the chance to
take. Erin has decided to carry out this itinerary,
believing that it might help her find her mother.

But Erin's trip won't be going according to plan.

Hours after they arrive in Tokyo, in a jet-lagged fog, Erin
and Adam end up in bed together. While struggling with the
tension that now dominates their once innocent friendship
and the trauma stirred up from Erin's painful past, Erin and
Adam visit the places on her mother's list. As they explore
the wonders of Japan, Erin finds herself haunted by strange
"memories" that seem to belong to her mother. Could these
memories be real? If so, perhaps her mother can be found.

Praise for LOST IN TOKYO:

"Full of heartbreak, loss and finding yourself while falling
in love with your best friend. I would absolutely recommend
this book and I have to several people already." -- Amy,
Goodreads

"Beautifully written ... emotional adventure. Quite a few
scenes brought out the goosebumps." -- Denise, Goodreads

"There were so many surprises I was on the edge of my seat."
-- Kathryn, Goodreads

"Japan as a backdrop was such a unique story setting. It was
both peaceful and exciting at the same time." -- Amanda,
Goodreads

"Traveling throughout Japan is a dream of mine and this book
created a sense of familiarity with places I've only
witnessed through (manymanymany) videos." -- Em, Goodreads

"I absolutely loved this book! I couldn't put it down ...
The way the plot kept unfolding, I never knew what was going
to happen next." -- Amanda, Goodreads

LOST IN TOKYO provides a travel guide of wonderful things to
see and do while on vacation in Japan (featuring attractions
in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Nikko, and Kamakura) wrapped in a
coming-of-age story of healing and hope, with an unexpected
ending that you'll never see coming.